arginine vasopressin

(noun)

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is a neurohypophysial hormone responsible for increasing water absorption in the collecting ducts of the kidney nephron.

Related Terms

Examples of arginine vasopressin in the following topics:

  • Developmental Changes in Fluids

    • Hormonal mechanisms including the renin-angiotensin system, aldosterone, and vasopressin are involved in modifying fetal renal excretion, reabsorption of sodium and water, and regulation of vascular volume.
    • The hypothalamic-neurohypophysial system plays a fundamental role in the maintenance of body fluid homeostasis by secreting arginine vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OT) in response to a variety of signals, including osmotic and non-osmotic stimuli.

  • The Stress Response

    • The paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalmus contains neuroendocrine neurons which synthesize and release vasopressin—a hormone which acts in the HPA axis as a vasoconstrictor—and corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH).
    • CRH and vasopressin are released from nerve terminals.
    • CRH gets transported to the anterior pituitary through the circulatory system and vasopressin is transported by axonal transport to the anterior pituitary.
    • There, CRH and vasopressin act to stimulate the secretion of ACTH from the cells where it is synthesized.

  • The Posterior Pituitary

    • Pars nervosa, also called the neural lobe or posterior lobe, constitutes the majority of the posterior pituitary and is the storage site of oxytocin and vasopressin.
    • Antidiuretic hormone (ADH, also known as vasopressin), the majority of which is released from the supraoptic nucleus in the hypothalamus.

  • Regulation of Water Output

    • The hormones ADH (anti-diuretic hormone, also known as vasopressin) and aldosterone, a hormone created by the renin-angiotensin system play a major role in this.
    • Osmoreceptors in the hypothalamus detect the increased plasma osmolarity and stimulate the posterior pituitary gland to secrete ADH, which is also known as vasopressin.

  • Chemistry of Hormones

    • Peptide hormones consist of short chains of amino acids for example vasopressin which is secreted by the pituitary gland and regulates osmotic balance; or longer chains such as insulin secreted by the pancreas which regulates glucose metabolism.

  • Short-Term Chemical Control

  • Circumventricular Organs

    • Posterior pituitary: Stores and releases oxytocin and vasopressin, also known as antidiuretic hormone, which are produced in the hypothalamus.

  • Vascular Spasm

    • Vasoconstriction may be induced by drugs called vasopressins, which increase blood pressure and can help treat certain conditions.

  • Production of Dilute and Concentrated Urine

    • The hormones ADH (Anti-diuretic Hormone, also known as vasopressin) and Aldosterone play a major role in this balance.
    • These areas project to the supraoptic nucleus and paraventricular nucleus, which contain neurons that secrete the antidiuretic hormone, vasopressin, from their nerve endings in the posterior pituitary.

  • Regulation of Water Intake

    • When the osmoreceptors detect high plasma osmolarity (often reperesenting a low blood volume), they send signals to the hypothalamus, which creates the biological sensation of thirst, and also stimulates vasopressin (ADH) secretion, which starts the events that will reduce plasma osmolarity to normal levels.